Illuminating device



Oct. 20, 1931.v J. J. woMPEY 1,827,963

. ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed March 5. 1929 A TTORNE YS.

Patented Oct. 20, '1931' l I Applica-:lioni ledy March 5,

y Thislinvention relates to illuminatingde'-V vices andiits main object'1s to provide anilluminatingunit which alight of very high l intensityis ee'ono'mically;l producedfwith a' minimum expenditure' of electric.current, or

other light-producing medium. i A further object resides in of anarrangement ot parts by which a surfacey of considerable length may be4evenly 10:: illuminated'- and-With great brilliancy, byv the 'thefollowingdescription.

My invention 1sl particularly adapted` forY the illuminationof signsalthoughy it maybe used with fgoiod effect for general lightingpurposes;y and. itis in the form of a sign that '20S the invention hasbeen: 'illustrated in the ac-l companyigdrawings.l 'p f i "j f Figure 1of' lie dravvngs representsa lon. gitudinal; section vin a horizontalplane, vof a` sign iny Whichzthe distinctive'features ofthel 5f?invention are;embodied,Ar Figure 2,y a: iagcejvievv` ofthe sign shownin- Figure'l, Figure 3Q atiiansversesectionialonglthel line s-arifguree;f Y

395 Figure 4, a transverse section'talgenonthe p line L-LLLFigurel2, -I.p l A Figure` 51a' perspective v ie'vvE of'iaV portion oi' aprismaticVe ventifon; Y, Y Y v 35" Figureyasectional view similar to Figurel 1f,but. drawn toa' smaller scale; yshovving' a' modified form. of theinvention', andv l 5 Figure 75, la section similar to Figure@illustrating another modiiicationfo'f vthe invention; A

' VLikefreference Vnumerals-i fdesignatef ,corre` spendingpartsthroughoutthe vievvs:

" The iillulminatingiunit asshovvn", lct'nnprises '5 an'el'ongatedibox 50i' 'preferablylrectan'guiar` A "section, the open front of lwhichclosed'by means'of 'ai plate of prismaticfglassf Y l Thisglassias'shovvn linr Figure Y 5, has a ribbedsurface and for the purpose'of l the present'invention: 'it' isp:referredl to havefthev sourceA yoflight,y as shoWn-inFigurejS," and its 1 ribs Textend'transverselyof'theplate'with-l respect to the" longitudinal; extent; of; theff boxkthe provision j plate and leave :the'latter angle thereto.

centrating eiiciency is an important part of the`1nvent1on.

' ofthe bea'mfof light produced inthe source; 75"*` l I 'opening of thebox.` Thie'lamp and there'- useda-s an' element oithezinf y v i' f f 22,affords access to the source o'fflight'for'its K .adjustment or'renewal. v i' i f surface,`Within the box, is a'5preferably'rew-V tofapoint closelyedjaeent the insmimung se# 1929; serial N. 344,367; .j fA

andK to placev the plate 'in' the opening of? kthe box with its ribbedsurface-innermost.- yEach 1 ribV of thev glassfjplaterepresentsa prismadapted lto ibe'ndfrays of lightdirecte'd'/atan ,j acute angle totheplate, at an 'angle'tothe'sur`=y 55" v face of thesame. Certainraysvvill passdiVV A rectlythrough the platerbut others are'reilected?at an anglev and? directed.i againstthe reflector 14'. Those rays Which'are deflected A) from'the reflector 14 are refracted'by the glass 66'on lines at a right The source of lightconsists'o'f asingle i'n-'fvcandescent lamp Spiaced at an end of the boxv in 'the axis of aconcentrating reflectc' ry 9. 65T' Thereflectoris preierablyof parabolicform but the shape of itsrreflectivesurface maybe Varied `from a t-ru'eparabolic curve according to varying requirements.' It is fto be underyn stoodhowever, thata-reector of'highcon- 76y p,

' lhevlamp and the reflector are conjointly'" adjustable to vary thedirection" of the axis With relation tothe illuminating surface providedby the transparent plate covering the]` Hector are Yfor'this purpose'mounted on asup'- ort 10 that is'pivotally mounted as atlQon 80"?" la)bracket 18 fastened to the? rear 'Wall-ofi the OX'JT. Y

An opening 21normallyfclosedfbyracover Y j 83* Rearward @of thetransparentilluminating tlect'ivefback' lli'that'" slants from apointadf jacentthe vreflector in the rear Wall othelboxy surfacegzatltheenf'vllof thebox opposite to that' i at Whichthefsource olf'lighti'slocated; Y l The` back` has for' its :object toI conne "the light'rays to the'bejam thrown out'the sourceof light and`- to thereby:conserve fthe 95"' illuminative intensity` of theibeam Ythroughoutitslength.YY Y 2 f i' Y curve diminishes k graduallyufntil i at its .end'flowk equal distances from its ends, while the rays Y, amount ofcurrentconsumed' inthe source of f at which it approaches theilluminating sur- Y face it is substantially straight, as indicated inFigure 41' ln Figure 1 the beam of light produced in the source anddirected toward the prismatic plate that closes the openingo the boX.;

the lightsource is adjusted to a position in j which the axis 16 of thelight beam coincident with that of the reflector, strikes-the'illuminating surface at a pointv at substantially at the peripheryof the beam strike the reflective surface at its ends. v'

The reflective back Maids in diffusing the lightA beams with uniformintensity -thrc` ugh` out the length ofthe boxandeach light ray ofthe'beamis bent-as it strikes-the'prismatic angles through the plate, asindicated at 17.

Moreover7 therays from the lamp and theV 'parabolic reiiector strike`the prisms at such anangle that thebent surfaces of the prisms reflectthe'light` rays-againstthe reflector 14.

The latterreiiects the rays and directs them towards the prisms on lineswhich, aresufliciently near thenormal that they pass through the Vplate6 and illuminatel the sign.

highilluminative power in proportion to the light and itis a distinctive-feature of the device that lthe' propagated light is` of subjstantially `uniform, intensity throughout the length-ofthe illuminatingsurface despite the fact that the source of light is located at one endthereof. Y Y' 1 To use the illuminating unit as a sigma `=sheet of glass18,bearing the'letters or otherl charactersof the sign, may be placed infront r of the prismatic plate, or the letters orother designs may bevpainteddirectly upon the smooth outer surface' ofthe pla-te.. A

Either er both. the glass plate .6 and the sheetof'glass 18 may becolored and the lettersof the sign may be transparent or trans- Y lucentuponanY opaque background, as indicated inFigure 1.`

It will be understood that various elects too` numerous to,mention,..maybe produced by varying the colors or designs on the' prisinatic plate orthe ,sheet of glass covering -the same. `The inventionisv subject toseveral modi.-

fieations within, its scope and spiritas delinedvin-the hereunto.appended claims.

For-example, twoorvmore illuminating Velements, Veach having a'prismaticsurface.- may be simultaneously lightedv from one and the that twointersecting beams. arefdirected toe f War-d their@ primati@ Panesfofiglass..

Vthe broken lines 15 indicate` j inthe center of the unit. 4.Thedevicethus constructed has eXtremelyi havingV an open :fron-afa .platecovering the opening of the front, and having a ribbed The longitudinalreflector has two parts 19 slanting from points adjacent the prismaticplates at the end of the boXopposite to that at which the source oflight is located, to a point of intersection in the aXis of the sourcewhich in this instance is substantially parallel Y to the illuminatingsurfaces. .i i Thelamp'is inthe focus of thepre'flector and,v

V ter-orbeing generally of` greater width, two l or more sources oflight may, b eiplaced *oneabove another at theendof ythe box. Y

Inasmuch asall ofthe above l niodiiications, arefmereV .duplications ofthe.

thought unnecessaryto urtherillustrate the same.

VIn, Figure 7, has been shownan ,illuminating Y 90 are disposed atopposite ends of the boX, and

unit ot greater length. Two sources4 of light InentionedY .85 formsshown inftheV drawings, 1t has; been,

the longitudinal, reflectors V2OV back of the.' prismatic plate slanttoward a meeting point;

' What I claim and ters Patent'is: ,Y Y ,j 1

1'. illuminating device comprising abo);

desire tolsercureby Lethaving an open `front, a platelcovering the.:opening of thefront, `and `having a ribbed surface providing a .seriesof prisms adapted mi for the reflection of light at substantially yright angles,ito;thefront, a lamp in theibox, at an end ofthe opening, areflector slant'- ingly` disposed to ldirect the lightffrom` the lamptoward the opening, and 'a rellective m5 back slantingfrom adjacent thelamp toward the opening, to form with the plate a graduf allyftaperingenclosure, adaptedto equalize -the intensityV of the light rayslongitudinally of .the openings.;

2. An laminating vitefmiraigabqx having: opentront, `aplate covering theopening of thejfront, andhaving a ribbed,VV

surface providing a series of prisms adapted for. the reflection of'lightyat substantially Vright angles tothe front, a lanip in the` box,

at an end'fof the Jopening, -av parabolicre flectorslantingly disposedtodirect the light fromfthe lampltoward the opening, anda reflective hackslanting4 from( adj acentthe lam toward the opening, tonform with theplate` a'l gradually tapering enclosure, adapted to Y equalize theintensity of the light'rays longitudinallyoji the opening. i

3. AAn illuminating device comprisinga box surface, providing {aseriesofprismsiadapted at an end of the opening, a reflector slantinrglydisposed to direct the light from the lamp toward'` the opening, and .atransversely 4curvedreflective back slanting from adjacent the lamptoward the opening, to form With the plate a gradually taperingenclosure,

adapted to equalize the intensityof the light rays longitudinally of theopening.

4.- An illuminating device comprising a-box having an open front,a platecovering the opening of the front, and having a ribbed surface providinga series of prisms adapted for-the reflection of light at substantiallynature.

VVe.

lamp toward the opening, and a reflective vback slanting from adjacentthe lamp toward the opening, to form with the plate, a graduallytapering enclosure adapted to equalize the intensity of the light rayslongitudinally of the opening, the reflective back being transverselycurved and the curvature of the back diminishing gradually from itsendadjacent the lamp to its opposite end. y

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my sigright angles to thefront, alamp in the box, 'Y

at an end of the opening, a reflector slant-- ingly disposed to directthe light beam from the lamp toward the opening so that the axis of thebeam strikes the plate centrallyof the opening, and a reflective backslanting from adjacent the lamptoward theV opening, to form With theplate a gradually tapering enclosure adapted to equalize vthe intensityof the light-rays longitudinally of the opening.

75 JOHN J, WOMPEY. n

f Soi 5. An illuminating device'comprising a n thelamp toward theopening so that the axis of the vbeam strikes the plate centrally Vof,the opening, and a reflective back slanting from adjacent the lamptoward the opening in a direction substantially parallel to that of theaxis of the light-beam, to 'lformvvith the plate a gradually taperingenclosure adapted to equalize the intensity of the light rayslongitudinally of the opening.

6. An illuminating device comprising a box having an open front, aplate-covering f the opening of the front,'and having a ribbed surfaceproviding a series of prisms adapted for the reflection of light atsubstantially 'v right angles to the front, a lamp in the box,

at an end of the opening, a reflector slantvingly disposed to direct thelight from the lamp toward the opening, and a reflective back slantingfrom adjacent the lamp toward the opening, to form With the plate agradually tapering enclosure adapted to equalize 'Y l the intensity ofthe light rays longitudinally of the opening, the lampand the ireflectorbeing entirely concealed by the lpart of the frontforward ofthe adjacent`end lof the opening. Y Y 1 y 7 An illuminating device comprising a boxhaving an open front, a plate covering the opening of the front,andhaving a ribbed surface providing a series of prisms adapted for thereflection of light at substantially right angles to the front, a. lampin the box, at an Aend of the opening, a reflector slantf ingly disposedto direct the 'light from the v

